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Illinois Public Media

Champaign Church Distributes Food to More Than 500 Families

November 23, 2011

A Champaign ministry will feed more than 500 families this Thanksgiving.

The Glory Center's annual Meet the Need Thanksgiving Giveaway relies on donations from more than 400 people.

It partnered with the Champaign Mayor's Office and Champaign County NAACP this year, some of them volunteering as families waited in line for grocery items like rice, beans, canned vegetables, and soup, and each of them got a Thanksgiving turkey.

Glory Center Associate Pastor Matthew Nesbitt says a large spectrum of people waited in line for over two hours to collect food Tuesday.

"(We're helping) people who may not have anything to eat, and then, at other end of the spectrum, it may be individuals who have just fallen on hard times that really just have that need at this time of the year," he said.

The city of Champaign often plays a role in the event, but Mayor Don Gerard says he was helping more as an individual yesterday, handing out the turkeys and other groceries.

It's estimated that one in four children in Champaign County struggles with hunger.